State of the Stash 2019

As with last year, my cup runneth over with stash…

My stash (sans 7 bins of cat fabrics, 1 of panels and 1 of Asian prints

)

This year, in regards to fabric, I tried to buy only what I needed for immediate use, but:

I bought several wide backs and haven’t used them all yet… (I have 5 left out of about 15 purchased this year)

I bought fabric for a few One Block Wonders this year and have only made one of them (and it is actually started but not yet completed)… (an OBW usually takes about 4 yards of fabric minimum to make, and I usually buy an extra yard or two so I have the original fabric for borders or a strip on the back).

I have been working on several quilt-alongs and BOMs. All of them required fabric… some of it is now gone – one was sold (I made two of the same quilt, and they provided me so much fabric for each that I had enough for two in just the one kit, so I sold the second pattern and all the fabric for it)… I’ve got lots of leftover fabric from some quiltalongs that will be going to new homes very soon, so I’m not even counting that… but the fabric purchased as borders that I changed my mind on are a problem.

I’ve been ‘better’ this year about not acquiring fabric ‘just because’… I have bought almost no batiks just because I liked them, nor have I been purchasing prints or tonals ‘just because’… I have tried this year to limit my purchases to what I needed for current or ongoing projects… but sometimes I did buy a little too much. I hate having to go back for ½ yard because I was being too frugal initially, and then finding it’s from a different dye lot and doesn’t match.

I think I’ve got a finished quilt stash problem as well… my stash of completed quilts rivals that of some professional quilters who travel around doing trunk shows. I could definitely do a trunk show of my own, but I wouldn’t have a theme or cohesive style to show. I flit from project to project, style to style, technique to technique. Sigh. I need a bigger family to gift all these quilts to, but sadly I was not blessed with a large or close-knit family. My sister and I never speak (her choice, and I have no idea why).  I made her a quilt once, when our parents were still alive and she was still occasionally speaking to me.  She took it.. never really said much about it though she did thank me for it… I suspect it’s probably a cat bed now. My cousins all left the state, one is dead, the other two are pretty much MIA. Most of my close friends have already gotten quilts from me, or are quilters themselves and don’t want any more quilts...My friends who are not quilters have already all received multiples from me. My quilt cabinets (I have 4) are full, the guestroom bed and desk are piled with quilts and I've got a few stacks of finished quilts in the studio.  I gave 12 to Paradise Fire victims, 6 to the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild for the Thomas fire victims last year, and there is still no visible reduction in the piles. Sigh.

My thread collection has not grown considerably at least… I buy to replace and little more (Aurifil is expensive, though I've discovered Bluprint (Craftsy) thread is good too and my 770 likes it better, and it's less expensive).

Machines are another problem area. I bought a used 440 earlier this year (to replace the two 440s I traded in for my 740 three years ago and regretted the loss of. Have I used the 440 yet? No! I bought a 770 (purchased but not yet received – it isn’t going to be delivered to the dealer til Sept or October)… I did at least promise to trade in my 740 for it, so at least it won’t result in an increase in machines… I’m a bit overloaded with 2 FW’s, a vintage White in a cabinet (my mother’s machine, kept for sentimental value, a 1924 Singer 99 (my grandmother’s machine, can’t part with that), a 350SE (my travel/class/retreat machine) and my 740 (soon to be 770, my home machine)… it’s gotten out of hand!

So, that’s the state of my stash. IF you got this far, thanks for reading, if not and you just skipped to the end, that’s okay too. I’d really like to reduce my quantity of ‘stuff’’ again – maybe it’s time for another big ‘stash reduction sale’? I made about $3500 at my last sale, spent a chunk of it on a purple FW, but maybe this time, I’ll just bank it… DH wants to retire soon - it can go into my IRA and encourage him to take the plunge. 

The Endless HP Quilt...

I just got home from a 5 day retreat, where I pieced, quilted (no applique this time), bound, and did a little hand sewing as well (a label)...  

The endless Harry Potter quilt is almost done!  Well, one of them, anyway... I ran out of background for both quilts.  Quilt #1 needs lots of background to finish it for sashing and borders.  Quilt #2 needs a little background to finish it, for borders only.   I'm happy to have these almost ready for the longarmer (too big for my machines!)...

Here is a picture of quilt #2:

It's been so fun making these blocks... so fun I actually have 6 left over.... could have made another whole row (and a pillow)... if I wanted the quilt to hang over onto the ground off the end of the bed, that is.   I love it and can't wait to see it in use (this one is for me... the other, with a purple background, is for a friend)...

We even had a few visitors to our studio workroom during the retreat

 Mom, Dad, and 3 babies... so cute.....  They came to the door of our workroom to check out what we were doing.  The three young raccoons were very curious, but the parents were very protective of their little ones.  They did let us look as long as we kept our distance, even though we sort of 'chased' after them to take pictures.

Trying Something New - Magic Binding!

Trying something new can be a daunting step, but how else do we progress and learn?  I decided to take the plunge and try the 'Magic Binding' method on my Square Deal quilt.  It works great!  and I loved the process.  Probably won't use it every quilt I make, but definitely will do it again.  I did learn that it cuts off points that go to the edge of the quilt (see the picture below), so it may not be appropriate for all pieced borders, but it is a really good method for a quick binding with a nice finished look with the illusion of piping around the edge.

As you can see in the picture it did cut off the points of the square in a square cornerstones... Still, I like the look of it.  It's fast, too, since it is all finished by machine, no hand-sewing at all!  Maybe a few extra steps to get the binding ready, but it's SO worth it.  

Here is the link to the you-tube tutorial on magic binding:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8N6nv90H2c

and here is the link to the written tutorial (with pictures) for those, like me, who have trouble following video instructions:  http://www.52quilts.com/2012/05/tuesday-tutorial-susies-magic-binding.html

Square Deal, a Mediterranean Mystery

Last September/October (2018), I went on an excursion to London, followed by a two week Mediterranean cruise on RCCL.  It was, of course, a quilting cruise, so on sea days, we sewed.  The teachers on the cruise taught a few different things, but on the way TO Italy, I worked on my own projects (the wonky bear claws and some applique blocks I wanted to surround with pieced borders with applique over them - I did all the piecing on the cruise).

On the way back to Southampton, I actually took the class Linda Ballard was teaching and made this quilt: 

It was offered as a mystery quilt, with blocks based on a traditional block which I don't know the name of.  I have decided to call thw quilt 'Square Deal'.. I changed the cornerstones (they were suppoed to be white square corners, I made them turquiose square in a square corners to match the color of the narrow lines in the sashing.  I haven't decided on binding yet... black, white or turquoise... I'll have to decide soon.  Linda is speaking at my guild in September and I'd like to have this labelled and bound to show while she's there.  Since I am going on retreat next week in Big Bear, taking this along to get the binding on would be perfect timing. 

Mystery Fabrics are Cut

Well, I waffled, then caved and changed one of my mystery fabrics before cutting commenced.  Here are the final 4, all cut and ready for the first month clue in September:

And my latest Harry Potter blocks, courtesy of a couple of ladies on the Facebook group who came up with the original design, then this modification of the original:

I have 2 more HP blocks cut (Luna in solids and Luna in Grunge), ready to sew... the 8th block in the Out of this World mystery is also cut and ready to sew.  I am itching to get to them, but I am gritting my teeth and not touching them because I'm going on a retreat next week and I want to have plenty to do while I'm there.

So far, my retreat to-do list is:  bind one quilt, sew the mystery blocks, sew the HP blocks, quilt  two wall-hangings, and maybe I'll add some more bindings into the mix, also, my month 10 Dear Daughter blocks if that arrives in time to prep them before the retreat (I am NOT messing with fusible and cutting out letters and such on retreat). I think that's enough to keep me busy for 4 1/2 days... at least I hope so!